Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I have met the fishermen and I know their concerns. I have also heard these concerns from colleagues in the Oireachtas. Several issues were put to Commissioner Borg both in the meeting with the Minister of State, Deputy Tony Killeen, and I and at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council. We made progress on the IUU regulation, which I mentioned earlier in answer to a question from Deputy Penrose. We also strongly made the case that the least people should expect in an industry is a level playing field in the regulation of catches which are taken illegally from our waters and so on.

We also strongly made the case for a marketing initiative to promote the purchase of good, wholesome, nutritious fish from European waters.

There is a significant amount of illegal dumping into Union waters, which is the a cause of serious problems for European fishermen. We are concerned about our fishermen.

Another matter we put to the Commissioner, which is an issue high on the fishermen's agenda, is the matter of cod in the Celtic Sea. We have asked for increased quotas and catch from that sea. The marine institutes of Britain, France and Ireland put forward detailed scientific information to show that the stocking levels have improved. The Commission receives its own scientific data and it was due yesterday on the last day of June. We asked the Commissioner to revert to us as quickly as possible to see if an increase in catch could be allocated. At the meeting Commissioner Borg was non-committal on the subject. We pressed him very strongly in view of the available scientific data from the marine institutes of the three countries. All agreed the stock levels had improved. We have asked that those scientific submissions be given detailed consideration and that a decision is made. The Commission has produced a paper. We have asked for immediate financial aid from the European Union and we have outlined that very clearly. There is a Common Fisheries Policy and a European response is needed. Practically everybody at the Council of Ministers who had an interest in fisheries was pushing the same line, that initiatives are needed directly from the Commission.

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